Rod Rutledge

Rodrick Almar Rutledge (born August 12, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for five seasons with the New England Patriots and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft.^[1]

Rod Rutledge

No. 83
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Born:	(1975-08-12) August 12, 1975 (age 49) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:	E.B. Erwin (Birmingham)
College:	Alabama
NFL draft:	1998: 2nd round, 54th pick
Career history
New England Patriots (1998–2001) Houston Texans (2002)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XXXVI) Second-team All-SEC (1997)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 27 Receiving yards: 204 Total touchdowns: 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Rutledge was the first player to ever catch a pass from Tom Brady, a 6-yard reception on Thanksgiving Day 2000 against the Detroit Lions. Known more for his blocking than his pass catching, Rutledge was a key member of the 2001 Super Bowl champion Patriots.^[2]

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	Bench press
6 ft 4+7⁄8 in (1.95 m)	272 lb (123 kg)	35+7⁄8 in (0.91 m)	10+7⁄8 in (0.28 m)	4.99 s	1.76 s	2.91 s	20 reps
All values from the NFL Combine[3]